


Constellations

by Maradyne



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Falling In Love, Kissing, Love Confessions, M/M, Post-Canon, Road Trips, idk how else to tag this it's pretty vanilla, or space road trip i guess, slight kangst, the paladins finally getting a damn break
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-24
Updated: 2018-06-24
Packaged: 2019-05-28 02:07:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15038330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maradyne/pseuds/Maradyne
Summary: Nobody spoke a word—for the first time, they weren’t traversing a battlefield. Keith wasn’t yelling desperately to his friends or searching for asteroids to cover from oncoming attacks. He wasn’t tracking his friend’s movements or rallying to form Voltron.He merely flew through the ambient space he gazed upon every night as an orphan child.





	Constellations

**Author's Note:**

> I can’t believe season 6 of Voltron single-handedly roused me from my debilitating depression and compelled me to write fanfiction for the first time in 4 years  
> This is the 200th fic you’ll see with this concept but I need SOME way to congratulate my son. Please excuse this unbeta’d mess from a very, very rusty writer

The gentle hum of Black’s engine provided the only sound in the cockpit as Keith cruised through the endless array of stars, the rest of the lions flying at his side. Nobody spoke a word—for the first time, they weren’t traversing a battlefield. Keith wasn’t yelling desperately to his friends or searching for asteroids to cover from oncoming attacks. He wasn’t tracking his friend’s movements or rallying to form Voltron.

He merely flew through the ambient space he gazed upon every night as an orphan child. Zarkon, Lotor, the quantum abyss, his time in the Blade of Marmora—they seemed so distant and unreal, and they all culminated to a moment of comforting silence as he traveled back to where everything began, when he found and rescued Shiro from the lab at the Garrison.

_Shiro…_

Keith glanced over his shoulder to the back of his lion. Krolia leaned against the space wolf, her expression soft during her slumber. The wolf, in return, curled around her, its face nested between its paws as it slept next to Krolia. Across from them, Shiro laid in the portable healing pod, getting the rest he needed and deserved. 

Keith reached back to his control panel, gently tapping the switch to set Black on auto-pilot. He shifted in his chair to face Shiro and look at him pensively. His eyes studied his hair, which shimmered like moonlight. They soon moved to his closed eyes, passed his gently parted lips, tracing a broad shoulder before stopping on his missing right arm. 

Only days ago, Keith laid bruised and swollen under the blade of his best friend. His muscles screamed as he locked swords with Shiro, the thunderous collision of metal from the crumbling station above them ringing in his ears. Past Shiro’s murderous, crimson eyes, he still saw the Shiro that believed in him, that cared about him. Between gasping breaths, he desperately called out to Shiro, pouring his heart out to him in hopes of calming him. He had confessed his love for him. 

Keith wondered if Shiro would remember. Essences and astral planes still confused him—what if the memories of the Shiro within Black overrode the memories of the Shiro he fought? Despite his two years of emotional growth and mending his relationship with his mother, Keith still struggled with showing his emotional vulnerabilities. After all, it took a near death experience for him to reveal his feelings for Shiro the first time. He didn’t want to burden Shiro, to guilt him into answering a confession so soon after coming back to life. His eyes moved back to the stars and nebula through his window, and he allowed the glittering lights to soothe his troubles once again.

Coran’s face soon appeared in front of the scene, and the camera zoomed out to him holding a heavy looking book about stars and constellations. “I hope I’m not interrupting anyone’s nap, but while we’re using the stars as navigation, I thought I’d tell a story about some constellations we’re about to pass!”

Hunk chimed in next to Coran, one of his eyebrows arched. “Are we talking Altean constellations? Because there was already an Earth constellation course at the Garrison, and I liked it, but I don’t know if I wanna sit through it again.” 

“What if Altean ones are the same as the Earth ones, but they have different names?” Pidge asked, a light grin forming on her face. “Maybe we can turn this into a guessing game.”

“Oh, yeah! Like space trivia!” Hunk responded enthusiastically. 

“I mean,” Lance butted in, reclining in his seat with his usual smug grin. “I wouldn’t mind a bit of sight-seeing. There’s not much else to do until we find another planet or something to land on.” 

Allura beamed from her cockpit as Coran shifted behind her, flipping through the pages of his book. “Well, considering how successful that ‘Monsters and Mana’ game was, I’m happy to try another one. At our current speed, it’ll be quite a few vargas until we reach the closest civilization.”

“How about this: I’ll describe the meaning of a constellation or perhaps send you all a picture,” Coran explained as he held his book open above Allura’s head. “Whoever guesses the correct name gets a point. Whoever gets the most points wins!” 

“Well, what would we win?” Lance leaned in competitively. “There’s gotta be some sort of prize at the end, or else there’s no point in winning.” 

“Yes, good point, Lance!” Coran nodded, clapping the book shut and wedging a finger in to bookmark a page. “Let’s see… any suggestions? Something worth winning a trivia game for?” 

“Something from Earth,” Pidge thought aloud with her thumb and forefinger to her chin. “That way, it’s something to look forward to when we go home.”

The group muse in unison until Lance clapped his hands together with a devious grin.

“Whoever wins,” the blue paladin started, his voice dropping low. “Will have the honors of enjoying a genuine Earthen milkshake.”

Allura and Coran perked up instantly, much to Hunk and Pidge’s surprise. Allura’s eyes flashed with determination. “Coran, we _must_ win this.”

“But Princess, don’t you remember its… _debatable_ source material?” Coran said with a hushed voice.

“Of course I do,” Allura said. “But such a delectable flavor cannot be forgotten, Coran. Imagine what other versions are created on its home planet.”

Lance crossed his arms, satisfied with the situation. “Oh, yeah. You haven’t even had _ice cream_ yet. You can’t call yourself an earthling without eating ice cream.”

“ _Creamed_ ice?!” Coran gawked, a bit too loudly. He shifted the book into the crook of his arm, mumbling and attempting to determine how cream could even come from ice. Allura turned to him and coughed, beckoning him to start the game and thus begin their quest to enjoy another milkshake, or even ice cream. 

Keith observed the exchange from the corner of his eye. He used to snap at the others when they acted like this, playful and without a care in the world. Two years with his mother and his wolf companion, however, helped him realize the importance of these quiet moments. Perhaps, he realized, he was only envious that they got to experience what he never received.

“Keith!” 

The red paladin glanced to Lance from the infinite space in front of him. 

“Did you wanna play, dude? Possibly get a free milkshake?” 

“You could get ice cream if milkshakes aren’t your thing,” Pidge offered while pushing up her glasses.

“Or a sorbet, if you’re lactose intolerant!” Hunk piped in.

“I have a nice, easy question to start you with, too!” Coran said, his thumb bookmarking another page of his book. Keith meditatively studied each Paladin’s face, their excitement compelling him enough to not disappoint them.

“Sure.” 

“Excellent! Let me show the picture to you.” Coran held the book in front of Blue’s camera, and Keith set Red into auto-pilot again to make out the line of dots. It looked like a poorly drawn pot—easy enough, Keith reasoned. Constellation names are usually straight-forward.

“Uh…the pot?” 

Lance snorted until Pidge and Hunk’s combined glares triggered his hand to slap to his mouth, which barely muffled his snickering.

“Here, Keith,” Allura started sympathetically. “Look at that square shape. Is it fairly big, or is it little?”

Keith began to feel embarrassed that the others were walking him through basic constellations. “It’s… little.” 

“And when you’re making cheese fondue in a pot,” Hunk continued—Keith has never done that before, but he attempted to imagine anyway. “What do you do with nachos to enjoy both the nacho and the cheese?”

Keith hesitated as he struggled to envision nachos and cheese. Everyone—save for Lance, who continued to chuckle at Hunk’s analogy—waited for his answer patiently. 

“… You dip them?”

“Exactly!” Pidge beamed. “So, let’s say there’s a small little Arusian that dips his nachos into the cheese. What does that make him?” 

Keith grimaced. “A little dipper,” he deadpanned.

“Hey, he did it!” Lance sarcastically cheers, much to Keith’s chagrin. Hunk, Allura, and Pidge congratulated him for using very basic critical thinking skills, but regardless, Keith felt satisfied.

“That’s one point towards a frozen dessert of your choosing, young man!” Coran scratched tally marks into the margins of his book while mumbling to himself. “These Earth names are so interesting. How can the Nunville Cup be known as the ‘Little Dipper’? What does it even dip into?”

Eventually, the game paused as the group passed by an aforementioned Altean constellation. Coran described the constellation’s history in vivid detail, noting a few familiar planets in its composition. Keith took periodic glimpses at the passing landmarks—such as the Balmera and Olkarion—and considered how surreal it is to be so far beyond those early periods of their journey. 

A firm hand gripped Keith’s shoulder, and Keith’s head turned toward it, expecting to see his mother’s hand. His eyes widened at the glint of white armor, and he followed the arm up to see the sleepy-eyed Black paladin.

“Did I startle you?” Shiro whispered, a light smile growing on his face as Keith shook his head. “Sorry. I’ve been up for a while. I couldn’t help but listen in.”

A breathy chuckle vibrated from Keith’s throat, and his shoulders relaxed under Shiro’s hold. “Do you know anything about constellations?” he asked. 

“I think I know enough to win a milkshake,” Shiro laughed softly, and it’s contagious enough that Keith found himself smiling with him. Shiro’s hand stayed planted on Keith’s shoulder as they cruise along their intergalactic path, forgetting about the constellation trivia as they enjoyed each other’s company.

“Keith?” Shiro broke the silence, though the tranquil atmosphere remained intact. 

“Hm?” the red paladin hummed back. He felt Shiro grip his shoulder tighter as the group encountered a relatively harmless asteroid belt, and the lions began weaving through the sluggishly-moving rocks. Keith peeked over his shoulder when Shiro grew quiet again, but Shiro rubbed his shoulder with his thumb to redirect his focus. 

“Keep watch of the asteroid belt,” Shiro reminded him. “Just listen to me. You don’t have to respond either, if you don’t feel ready to.” Keith swallowed hard and gripped his controls tighter, fearing the worst, but the rhythmic presses of Shiro’s thumb assuaged his anxiety.

“…When I died,” Shiro began with a sigh, and Keith’s reflection winces at the words. “Even though my essence still lived within the Black Lion, I didn’t have my physical body anymore. It terrified me. I couldn’t communicate with you or the others or leave the Black lion. I watched everyone suffer and couldn’t do anything to stop it or ease the pain.” Shiro paused his ministrations and gripped Keith tighter as Keith curved around a particularly large asteroid. “I barely felt real. I barely felt _alive_. I wondered when my consciousness would fade and when I would cease to exist entirely.”

Keith’s shoulders were stiff, and Shiro saw that he visualized every detail Shiro told him, and it left him heartbroken. Keith attempted to turn back towards Shiro again, but Shiro’s hand cupped the crevice between neck and shoulder to keep his gaze forward. 

“Keith,” Shiro whispered. “You were the one thing that kept me going. Even though you were so reluctant when the Black Lion accepted you, seeing you learn to pilot her and develop into a strong leader makes me so unbelievably proud. You let people—the paladins, myself, and your mother—back into your life, and because of that you developed into the man I hope you would become and more.” The black paladin tilted his head back from staring into Keith’s scalp as he spoke. In the window’s reflection, Keith barely maintained his composure, and his eyes held tears that were on the verge of spilling. They tumbled down once Keith blinked, and he hurried to wipe them away. Shiro chose not to mention it, and instead smiled wryly.

“I…” Shiro began, and then hesitated as he approached a more sensitive topic. He swallowed hard behind Keith. “I need to tell you that I inherited his memories when Allura transferred me into his body.”

Keith’s eyes widened. He bit his lip as Shiro made eye contact with his reflection. 

“You told me you loved me.” 

Keith paused, holding his breath briefly before nodding. 

“I love you, too.” 

Keith squeezed his eyes shut to lock in his tears. Shiro, in turn, leaned forward to give the strongest hug that one can give with only one arm. The red paladin slowed upon exiting the asteroid belt, and he reached up to hold Shiro’s hand, breathing shakily to try and stifle his cries from his still sleeping mom. “I’m so sorry for hurting you, Keith,” Shiro whispered into Keith’s hair. “I’m sorry that’s what pushed you tell me.”

“ _Shiro,_ ” Keith weeps, his eyes still closed, but his tears leaked through regardless. “I love you, I love you so much,” he said, almost desperately, like this is his only chance. He hiccupped as Shiro rocked him in his grip, shushing him gently and wrapping his hand around Keith’s. 

Shiro burrowed his face into Keith’s shoulder, his hot exhale brushing against Keith’s neck. “I’m here,” Shiro replied. “I’m not letting you go, not anymore.” 

Black decelerated when Keith reached back down to pull on her controls. Shiro soon lifted his head, confused at the sudden stop when Keith twisted in his seat, pushing onto his knees and capturing Shiro’s face with his hands. He felt Keith’s fingers thread through his hair before Keith leaned in and closed the distance between them. It’s chaste, exemplifying his uncertainty towards performing the action, but Keith kept Shiro in his hold for a while before pulling away. Shiro chased after him immediately, and Keith gasped quietly when Shiro trapped him in another kiss, tilting his head to find the best angle and gripping Keith’s hair as he puts all his passion for the man in front of him into the kiss, silently proclaiming his love again and again.

“Keith?”

The two parted reluctantly, but they stayed close, touching their foreheads together as Shiro smiled the widest smile Keith’s ever seen from him. Keith grew flustered from the overwhelming affection he saw in Shiro’s eyes. 

“H-Hey, uh… Keith, buddy?” Hunk fidgeted awkwardly from his lion.

“Hey Keith! Nice Ass!” Lance yelled, and Keith whirled around, initially shocked from both the statement and the sudden noise. His expression soured at Lance’s smug grin, and he fell back from his knees and shifted back to a normal seated position. 

“Lance, I’m kicking your ass the next time we stop.”

“That’s what you get for leaving your mic on,” Lance retorted, crossing his arms as he glared, albeit playfully, back at Keith.

“We tried ignoring it for a bit until you started sucking face,” Pidge sighed. “Then it got too awkward.” 

“But still, uh,” Hunk stuttered, tapping his fingers together. “Congrats, I guess! We all kind of saw it coming.” 

“After all you two have been through, you deserve it,” Allura says while Coran gives a thumbs up in the background. “Just remember to shut your communicator off next time.” 

At this point, Keith’s embarrassed face matched his scarlet suit and he averted his eyes with a huff. “Okay, I get it,” he grumbled, though Shiro’s laughter bubbled behind him and he combed through Keith’s hair with his fingers. 

“Are we close to any resting areas, Coran?” Shiro asked.

“Well, it’s only been about one varga, but we’ve made a bit of progress,” Coran noted while inspecting Blue’s GPS. “I’m seeing a Blade of Marmora base about one and a half more vargas away.”

“We’ll seek refuge there, then,” Keith said, directing Black back to join the others. 

“What’ll we do for another one and a half vargas, though?” Hunk groaned, slumping in his seat and kicking his sleepy legs awake. “Does anyone have any music?”

“’Could be a good time to introduce Allura to Earth music,” Pidge admitted, and to no one’s surprise, Lance jumped from his seat to dig for his collection. 

“I got you all covered! Just sit back and let DJ Sharpshooter pump you up with his tunes!” 

It took about 2 doboshes to find his phone and 10 more to actually decide on a playlist, but everyone seemed satisfied with Billboard Hits of the 1990’s. Lance, Hunk, and Pidge even sang along with a few songs—especially ones from the Spice Girls and Britney Spears—and Allura and Coran joined in on the repeat songs. On the occasion, they encountered a few slow R&B songs, and the garrison trio began telling Allura about the movie ‘Titanic’ when its theme song from Celine Dion came on. 

Even though their enthusiastic discussions made the music hard to hear, Shiro hugged Keith from behind when ‘My Heart Will Go On’ played, and while Lance and Pidge shouted the chorus, Shiro hummed the lower-pitched verses in Keith’s ear. It was so cheesy yet so _Shiro_ that Keith couldn’t stop grinning while he called Shiro an idiot.

Several feet behind them, Krolia smiled, elated that her son finally found peace.

**Author's Note:**

> I know I completely forgot about Romelle DON'T REMIND ME  
> my tumblr is @lucialavender if you wanna bother me


End file.
